Typical inkjet printers, using single use disposable inkjet printer cartridges, are characterized in that a piece of paper or other printable surface is fed into a printer to incremental, stationary positions. The printing system then moves a print head across the lateral length of the paper while the paper is held in place, creating a line of printed characters. When these inkjet printers have completed printing a document, the print head slides across a wiper blade positioned beyond an edge of the paper and into a “parked” position. Sliding the print head across the wiper cleans the print head, and “parking” the cartridge caps it and prevents leaking ink from the inkjet cartridge.
In automated document processing systems, a print head is held stationary during printing, and the printed surface is moved across a printing aperture to allow the printer to direct ink onto the printable surface. One example of such systems includes a check printing system in which specific check processing information, such as an endorsement, may be printed onto a portion of the check to expedite routing and processing of the check. In such systems, banking laws may require that the entity performing the processing of the document can print a unique, programmable endorsement onto the front or rear of the check.
Existing print heads in such systems incorporate complex circuitry and mechanical systems to deliver ink to the print head, and require complicated ink piping and delivery systems. Additionally, complex electrical systems are required to control the ink flow.
Although a disposable inkjet printer cartridge may be used in place of such complicated print heads, automated document processing systems generally retain the print head in a constant position. These systems, unlike traditional inkjet printers, are not configured to move the print head across a wiper and into a capped position. This leaves the inkjet cartridge prone to clogging and drying out, causing failure of the document processing system. Furthermore, such systems are not configured to change the vertical position on a document at which the print head can print. This limits the printable space available on a check or other document passing through the system.
For at least this reason, improvements are desirable.